A local program that works with young people is in trouble and seeking some help.

Kinship of Todd Wadena Counties is a program that currently matches 24 adults with 24 young people, 13 girls and 11 boys who can benefit from the added companionship and mentoring from an adult. For those 24 youngsters, plus another 31 potential kids now on waiting lists, the opportunity may never come.

The Todd Wadena Kinship program learned late last year that it’s primary source of funding is being cut. The Youth Intervention Program (YIP) from the state’s Department of Corrections has been cut, and nine Kinship programs around the state took the brunt of the cuts. The program based at the Staples Community Center was one.

“Our program lost 66 percent of its funding,” Dave Johnson, the program’s part time executive director, said. Johnson explained the total Kinship revenue has been approximately $32,000 per year the last few years. This was made possible primarily by a $20,500 per year YIP grant through the Office of Justice Department. The Kinship board of directors learned of the cuts at their Dec. 10 board meeting and much of their time since then has been consumed with seeking ways to counter this drastic cut.

They have been searching for alternative funds to keep the local youth mentoring program going. It was started over ten years, ago in this the area by county corrections, school officials and law enforcement people.

Johnson and others are trying to get the word out through news stories, lobbying their local legislators, exploring other grant possibilities and seeking fund raising ideas. They plan to approach other funding sources, including foundations and charitable gambling organizations.

In January, the local board of directors met with Gary Walters of Brainerd, whose past exploits have included sitting atop the Brainerd water tower and roller blading to Washington, D.C. this past year. All his efforts have been to raise funds for the Brainerd Kinship program and to capture the interest of potential mentors. He has also swam across Mille Lacs and walked from Iowa to Brainerd.

Walters main theme has been: If I can do these things, you can be a mentor, or at least give support to Kinship by way of financial donations. He has been very successful in getting new mentors and for raising money, thousands of dollars each year up to $20,000 this year with his trip to Washington, D.C.

Walters provided the Todd Wadena group with several suggestions, including cocktail parties or wine tasting parties sponsored by individuals or a business, but with the main intent to make people aware of the Kinship Program.

Donations can be solicited and people can be asked to sign monthly pledge cards for Kinship.

Brainerd’s main fund

raiser of the year is called, “Taste of the Lakes”, which

is an event where all the chefs in town give samples of their work.

Walters suggested Dave Johnson contact the state and national Kinship directors to let them know about the seriousness of the local situation and cuts in funding.

Kinship board members include Nick Schultz, Gail Honek, Judy Bialka, Roger Houselog, Justin Sperling and Rynell Schock, along with Johnson. Gail Honek said, “There is much work to be done in the next months to save our Kinship Program for Todd and Wadena Counties. We will keep working.”

Anyone with any grant writing experience is being asked to consider donating a little of your time and write a proposal. This action will possibly help secure funding for the program to continue.